Social / Demographics
Fairtrade Towns on the Rise
10 years after a town in England declared itself a "fairtrade" town, the ethical trading movement has grown to 500 towns across the world.
Many Ways to Reimagine Suburbia
The "Build a Better Burb" contest from Long Island Index has chosen 23 finalists with a variety of interesting ideas for redesigning the suburbs for the next century - in this case, Long Island.
Foreclosure Rate Highest Among Wealthy
What's not known is how many of the homes are investments, or primary or secondary residences, but it's clear that the foreclosure rate for mortgages exceeding $1million is higher than for lower priced homes, according to the New York Times analysis.
Can an Operating System be Developed to Run a City?
Melissa Lafsky asks if citizen initiative facilities like '311' and 'fixmystreet' should be expanded into an "operating system" for cities.
Little Italy's Mexican Persuasion
New York's historically Italian Little Italy is steadily being transformed by its growing Mexican population.
"Not Only Hi-Tech, It's Also Lederhosen"
Munich returns to the top of Monocle's most liveable cities for 2010. According to Monocle, Munich is a place where "wealth and prosperity are reinvested in transport, infrastructure and environmental initiatives."
Shanghai's Faux World Cities Fail to Catch On
A decade after its inception, Shanghai's One City, Nine Towns project, an ambitious attempt to manage the city's massive population growth via the creation of international-themed satellite communities, has failed to deliver hoped-for results.
Designing Cars for Future Megacities
With the global urban population on the rise and cities expected to become densely populated mega-cities, automakers are trying to design cars for future cities.
Cities Fighting For Lebron
Cities are falling over themselves to try to convince basketball superstar Lebron James that he should pick their NBA franchise as his new team.
The Food Element of Sustainability in Baltimore
The City of Baltimore has appointed a new "food czar" to look at food health and access issues in the city. In the broader senses, though, officials in the city look at this new position as a part of their sustainability planning.
Small-Town Environmental Justice
This piece from Next American City looks at pollution in small town New Mexico and how court rulings have made it hard for a local organization -- and those in other communities -- to fight environmental battles.
China's Drive Toward Carbon Neutrality
By 2030, China will have 220 cities containing a population of 1 million or more, 24 of which will be megacities. The boom China is expected to go through, 'boggles the imagination of North Americans and Europeans.'
Jane Jacobs Overkill
Jane Jacobs, often viewed as the patron saint of the progressive urban planning world, maybe be given too much credit, according to this piece from Andrew Manshel.
Neighbors Connected
Face-to-face interactions between neighbors may be declining in some cities, but, increasingly, neighbors are connecting with each other online.
Jan Gehl's Ten Principals For Liveability
Kaid Benfield introduces Jan Gehl and Walter Hook's principals to promote "environmentally sustainable and socially equitable transportation worldwide."
Baltimore Points The Way Forward For Urban Renewal
Neal Peirce describes how Baltimore's first mixed income neighborhood since WWII is taking shape on the east side just north of the Johns Hopkins campus.
Homes Shrink As Lower-Priced Homes Sales Surge
More first-time, energy-conscious, urban home buyers with smaller households have contributed to a noticeable reduction in home size as shown in 2008-2009 housing Census data. Concurrently, lower-priced home sales outpaced more expensive homes.
Suburbs Lag As Urban Core Mark Population Gains
William Frey of Brookings Institution analyzes census data from 2008-2009 in a WSJ economics blog that unmistakably shows a reduction of growth within suburban parts of metro areas while the cities in metro areas have increased in population.
Population Loss in the Sun Belt
Census estimates show that St. Petersburg, Florida, lost population between 2008 and 2009 -- a decline that's expected to continue.
Controversial BART to Airport Being Built Anyway
Back in February, the Federal Transportation Administration revoked $70m in funding from the proposed BART airport connector over civil rights violations. Streetsblog reports that BART is forging ahead anyway and looking for other funders.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
